Pankaj Tripathi on producing ‘Perfect Family’, dealing with mental health and his plans to direct films Latest Entertainment News

Pankaj Tripathi breaks the mould as he turns producer with the recently released comedy-drama series, Perfect Family. There is a Zen-like composure in his voice as we have a telephonic conversation and Pankaj says that he understands what it is like to produce a project. “It is like preparing for a girl’s wedding, where you have to do the casting of the girl as well,” Pankaj quips.

Perfect Family stars Gulshan Devaiah, Girija Oak Godbole, Neha Dhupia and Manoj Pahwa and tells the story of a dysfunctional family that decides to go to therapy together. It is also the first show released directly on YouTube with a pay model. Two episodes of the series are available to watch for free and the rest are accessible at a one-time payment of Rs 59. Pankaj says that the decision was taken as they didn’t want another creative involvement on the show. “We also wanted to explore a new model and see if it works. It will open pathways to independent creators if the trend is set,” he says. “It could even reduce piracy as no one would mind paying Rs 59 to watch an entire show without taking a monthly subscription.”

A still from ‘Perfect Family’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Pankaj says that he got associated with the series after it was made. Co-producer Ajay Rai, who had backed Pankaj’s Nil Battey Sannata (2016) and Gurgaon (2017), showed him the series and asked him to join as a presenter. Pankaj took no time to say yes as he found resonance with how the show aimed to break the stigma around mental health and therapy. “There is still some awareness about it in certain pockets of urban areas but not so much in other places,” Pankaj says. “Going to therapy should be as normal as visiting the doctor when you have cold and flu.”

The actor feels that mental health issues have become more prominent with the penetration of mobile phones. “The same feelings of anger and guilt, which one would experience in reality before, have now entered digital spaces. We get affected if someone makes a bad comment on our social media posts,” Pankaj says while reflecting on how there is too much information available online which can be overwhelming to witness.

“I had health anxiety myself. I used to search about my illness on google to know more about its reasons and cures. When I went to the doctor and began telling them about my condition, they asked me where I had studied all that. Then I realised everything cannot be searched online,” he adds.

Pankaj also shares a healthy relationship with social media as he uses the platform to just promote his upcoming films and shows. I ask the actor if he scrolls through Instagram reels and he says, “Yes, I do and after scrolling for sometime, I realise about the time spent and think to myself, ‘What am I doing?’” he says.

Neha Dhupia in ‘Perfect Family’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The cast of ‘Perfect Family’ on the show

Neha Dhupia: I had not worked for three years. It was quite intimidating when I went on set on the first day, in the company of all my co-stars and I also had long dialogues to learn. I play a therapist in the series, which helped me understand a lot of things about myself. In a way, the script was like a guide for life.

Girija Oak: I was auditioning for some other project when I was called-in to give a test for Perfect Family. Director Sachin Pathak told me that he never imagined me playing the character of Neeti, as she is someone who subdues her anger. He thought I wouldn’t be able to portray anger as an emotion. But I gave it all and screamed in anger in my test which surprised Sachin and I got the part.

Manoj Pahwa: I connected with the script of the show as it talks about mental health without being too preachy. I find such stories to be really effective, where the subject is not dealt with heaviness. So, I liked how the series was telling the story of a family in a light-hearted, entertaining manner while also addressing some important things.

Pankaj has been part of the industry for a long time and has gone through some rough terrains before he shot to fame with Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). The actor says that he doesn’t get as affected by success and failures. “I have lived in Mumbai for 10 years without work and then in the last 10 years, I have over-worked myself in the same city. It’s like I have witnessed rain, endured drought, and lived through floods. All of that has made me a bit relaxed,” he says, adding that he is not impacted as much by his profession but often has difficulty dealing with loneliness, especially now after his mother passed away recently.

“I have realised how big the vacuum is. I don’t know how will I get through it as I get lost in the memories, even after knowing the impermanence of life. But that’s how emotions are. It requires time to process them,” he says.

The actor-producer has further plans to produce more films and shows, however, his choices will invariably be different than his acting work. Pankaj wants to back lighter projects and is particularly averse to action and gore. “The world is already dark, I don’t want to show that on-screen too. I like social-dramas, satire and comedies,” he says. Would he be directing too? “I wish to direct but have no definitive plans. And since I used to direct plays, I feel that I will be a good film director too,” he concludes.

Perfect Family is available on the YouTube channel Jar Series